New flight rules may catch travelers off-guard

A federal air-safety requirement that takes effect Monday could trip you up if certain key information about your identity wasn't included when you made the reservation.

Submitting the information as boarding time approaches could mean delays for you and others. And even if you are in the clear, the potential that thousands of others may not have submitted the data could make the start of the business week tough for all travelers and airline and security workers.

The Transportation Security Administration's Secure Flight program, designed to reduce the chance of terrorists flying in the U.S., requires that fliers provide their full name, birth date and gender when they buy airline tickets so the information can be checked against the TSA's no-fly list. If the information is not provided, ticket holders will not be able to board their flights.

Most airlines have required that information from ticket buyers for months. But some third-party travel sites, such as Expedia and Orbitz, just started asking buyers for the information in the past several weeks.

Airlines and travel sites have launched e-mail and calling campaigns to get in touch with consumers who didn't provide the information, but some industry insiders are concerned about how many may have fallen through the cracks.

It is unclear how many travelers will be affected. Most airlines will sell tickets months ahead of a flight - some up to nearly a year in advance. These advance tickets often are purchased by leisure travelers, perhaps booking ahead for holiday trips.

"Passengers should allow more time to travel that day in case of delays," said Andrew Weinstein, a spokesman for the Interactive Travel Services Association.

The rule has received scant attention in recent weeks even as its launch date approached. Travelers at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport on Thursday were largely unaware of the policy.

"I didn't know about it," said Joseph Estrada, who said he was flying to El Paso and returning on Monday. "I must have filled out the information and not realized it."

The TSA said that if you have not provided the required information by the time you arrive at the airport, not to worry. A passenger's Secure Flight data can be checked against a no-fly watch list quickly.

In fact, the airlines will not allow you to print a boarding pass until you've provided it.

A TSA spokesman told the Associated Press that the agency estimated only about 1 percent of passengers won't make it through security because of delays caused by providing incomplete or incorrect information.

Most major airlines say passengers can provide last-minute information at the ticket counter or kiosk.

The two airlines that account for the most traffic at Sky Harbor - Tempe-based U.S. Airways and Southwest Airlines - predict few delays on Monday for passengers who booked through their websites.

US Airways has required passengers to provide the Secure Flight data when booking on its website since October 2009. Southwest has required the information since March.

American Airlines says it has attempted to contact customers who may have fallen through the cracks. Billy Sanez, an American Airlines spokesman, said his airline is prepared for customers who arrive at the airport without having provided the information.

"We are staffing up (for Monday)," Sanez said.

Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines appears to be taking a tougher stance.

On its website, Delta says that if passengers have not provided Secure Flight data within 72 hours of a scheduled flight, their reservations may be canceled, beginning on Monday.

Delta has required its customers to provide Secure Flight information when booking tickets on its website since June 15, said Susan Elliott, an airline spokeswoman.

Delta has sought to contact ticket buyers ahead of time, Elliott said.

Other ticket sellers have been slower to act.

Orbitz has required passengers to provide the information since Sept. 12. Expedia has required passenger to provide the information only since Aug. 31, although it has requested it since December.

Check the reservation

Jeanenne Tornatore, senior editor at Orbitz.com, suggests that uncertain passengers check their reservations online or contact the booking source before arriving at the airport.

"When you are dealing with busy airports during the holiday season, the last thing you want is to be delayed by 10 or 15 minutes before you can catch your flight," Tornatore said.

David Castelveter, a spokesman for the Air Transport Association trade group, said he was confident the program's mandatory launch date will be free of problems.